In 1965 Landing Ship Squadron Three was as it had been for years. It was based in San Diego and divided into two divisions. The first division had four big LSTs- the 1156 class. The second division had four of the smaller 542-class LSTs and a separate division commander. But that all changed when the Navy decided to reactivate the last of the LSTs that they had in mothballs. There were 17 of them and they were assigned to Squadron Three. For a short time, then, the squadron had 25 ships. But they took the first 8 away and of the 17 they converted 4 to be Riverine Craft Support ships. About the same time they changed the Squadron’s home port to Guam, Marianas Islands. Later, the Squadron picked up a fourteenth ship that had been moored to the pier at Iwakuni, Japan, for years on a special mission.

But what about you? You experienced some strange situations, starting with when you got your orders to Portland, Oregon. Portland, Oregon? What kind of Navy is in Portland, Oregon?? When you got there and saw your new ship she looked a little strange too. Pretty good sized and plenty of freeboard. But were those doors in the bow? And one of her anchors was on the wrong end. Anyway, you turned to and learned your chain of command and began to make acquaintances with your new shipmates. With time those acquaintances grew into friendships and then into the unshakable bond that we see here tonight, as has been mentioned by our Chaplain. But you were still just a collection of individuals. Then the big day came; you were re-commissioned and welcomed back to the fleet. And you got to go to sea when you set course down the coast for San Diego. You found that your ship was a pretty good sea boat, well fit to sail the great waters and see the wonders of the deep. ‘Course she knifed through the water at 9 or 10 knots with all the grace of a snow plow. She tended to wallow a bit in a following sea and into a head sea she didn’t pitch, she pounded and slammed and shook all over. But you got your sea legs and probably some of you discovered the swimming pool.

When you got to San Diego you fell into the arms of the Fleet Training Group. This should not have been so strange because they had you doing all the things that any Navy warship does: General Quarters! Firing your guns. Man overboard! Steering causality! Fire in the engine room! Damage control. And all that. At the end you were a crew, and no more just that collection of individuals. But you weren’t finished yet; you went AOTU, the Amphibious Operational Training Unit. There you learned the unique characteristics of your ship: Bow doors and the bow ramp. The strongback. The ramp to the main deck. Tank-deck ventilation. Clip rails. Ballast beaching tanks. And how important that stern anchor was because it helped keep you from broaching in the surf when you deliberately drove your ship on to the beach and it helped you retract from the beach and get back to sea again.

Finally you were ready; you loaded Marines and their equipment and set sail across the big Pacific to your new home port of Guam.

You don’t need me to tell you that Guam was a very strange place, especially for those of you who brought your families there.

You didn’t stay in Guam long; ten days steaming took you to Viet Nam where you went to war and went to work. And work you did- all over the Western Pacific in strange and exotic places with strange and exotic names: Chu Lai, Danang, the Cua Viet, Vung Tau, around the corner to the Gulf of Siam, the Mekong delta and river. Farther afield: lovely Olongapo, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Iwakuni. The Litchfield County even went to Palau. And once in a while you did actually get back to your home port at Apra Harbor, Guam. You did well.

Now: You deserve good officers and you particularly deserve good Commanding Officers. You were three of the best ships in the squadron and that couldn’t have happened without all of you pulling together. You had obstacles to overcome. For example, if the supply system let you down and didn’t provide you with enough sound-powered telephones, then in the time-honored Navy way you scrounged them and made them work until your ship had what it needed. That’s good, but make no mistake about it; it is the Captain of the ship that sets the tone and the flavor and the color of these things. You three Commanding Officers did well.

What about these pretty flags that you see here? Actually, they are properly called pennants because of their shape. The one with “3” on it is the Broad Command Pennant for Squadron Three. The one of many colors is the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation. This is a unit award, meaning that it is not given to an individual but a unit- a ship, a group of ships, or maybe a company or a battalion. It doesn’t have a medal but only a ribbon in the same colors as the pennant. This one was awarded to Landing Ship Squadron Three, meaning to you- to every man jack in every ship of the Squadron from the Captain to the mess cooks, and to the Squadron staff.

Let me read your citation:

"The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in presenting the Meritorious Unit Commendation to Landing Ship Squadron Three for service as set forth in the following Citation:

“For meritorious service from 1 July 1966 through 31 March 1968 during combat-support operations in the Republic of Vietnam. Assigned as part of the Amphibious Force, United States SEVENTH Fleet, Landing Ship Squadron THREE transported over 336 million pounds of cargo, 5,900 vehicles, and 10,000 troops in direct support of military operations ashore. These figures attest to the professional competence and high standards of excellence exhibited by the Squadron's personnel. Carrying out this tremendous effort under adverse weather conditions and in the face of enemy action, the officers and men of Landing Ship Squadron THREE were eminently successful in transporting men and materials where and when they were needed, thereby making a significant contribution to United States efforts in the Republic of Vietnam and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

“All personnel attached to and serving with Landing Ship Squadron THREE during the above-designated period, or any part thereof, are hereby authorized to wear the Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon.

“Signed for the Secretary: T. H. Moorer, Admiral, United States Navy, Chief of Naval Operations"

There’s an old Navy story about John Paul Jones- During the Revolutionary War John Paul Jones was in command of the Bon Homme Richard, a converted merchantman. He was making a pest of himself raiding the coast of England when he was intercepted and engaged by the British frigate Serapis, a superior warship. After they had been going at it hot and heavy for a while the English captain called across and asked John Paul Jones if he was ready to surrender. With his ship on fire and sinking beneath him John Paul Jones famously replied, “I have not yet begun to fight!” Up in the foretop one battle-weary Marine turned to another and said, ”You know, there’s always some dumb bastard that doesn’t get the word.”

At one time you were responsible to me; now I have a responsibility to you. At the end of the evening Mike Kempf will pass out an envelope to you with a copy of your citation and the pretty little ribbon that goes with it. You are going to get the word.